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Silversmithing
How
sterling silver Navajo jewelry is made
Silversmithing was introduced to the Navajo people in the early 19th
century by a Mexican silversmith who taught the craft to Atsidi Chon. By the
middle of the century, Chon had mastered the art and introduced it to other
Navajos.
The Navajo would find a
stone that just was just soft enough to carve their design into and would use
this stone as a mold for casting the silver. In the beginning, tools were
limited and many used awls to punch patterns onto the silver. As tools became
more advanced, some Navajos took small pieces of iron such as nails, and filed
designs to make their own stamps. These stamps or “dies” were based on the
leather stamps that the Mexicans used on their leather.
To go back and continue
shopping for sterling silver Navajo jewelry,
click here.
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